Ranjani GovindDid you know that there are hidden health benefits in wearing earrings, bangles, toe rings, and many other kinds of jewelry? Don’t miss Madhurya’s free online session this evening to learn more about precious metals too.
Indian Jewellery is as old as the Indian civilization itself, with the ruins of the 5000-year-old Indus Valley civilization yielding examples of beaded jewelry. While Greek visitors to ancient India were in awe of the intricate Indian jewels of the time, the Hindu epic poems Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Arthashastra mention the intricate arts of the jewelers of yore.
Most youngsters would never even know that jewelry in ancient times was not just an adornment, but each metal chosen had health benefits. Each precious stone was endowed with a mystical quality and used as reassurance for protection against evil forces. “Even the Navaratna or the nine gems, each sacred to a planet, is worn in present times too in a particular order for the same reason,” says Ganapathi Shastry, a Sanskrit scholar residing at Malur on the Mysore highway in Karnataka, who has presented research papers on gemstone and precious metal health benefits in many universities in India.
“There is a scientific base in understanding the characteristics of the metal and stone touching our body in jewelry-wear and some of these are even mentioned in the Ayurveda,” says the scholar, adding that for anyone to appreciate the artistic aspects embedded in its crafting, knowing the health and protection aspects it emanates is equally essential.
While a lot of jewelry-designing in India today has its spotlight on the inventive facets involved in crafting them, realizing its potential to contribute to the overall well-being can help one even choose the metal required according to one’s bodily needs, as contemporary fashion jewelry is also done using many precious metals.
“The traditional science behind its make-up can help one appreciate jewelry-making better,” agrees Bharathy Harish of the arts and crafts revival boutique Madhurya Creations (www.madhurya.com), who replicate and source classic and temple jewelry that existed as part of royal dynasties in India and many a historical era. Practices in jewelry design then had an underlying understanding of its effects on one’s physical condition and well-being.
“Our ancestors had a purpose behind selecting the right material for making jewelry as the point-contact of the metal with the right pressure on the body had to be established for its efficacy,” says Bharathy.
It is only timely that during the Akshaya Tritiya week, Madhurya Creations as a revival boutique is all set to share some of the beneficial aspects of ‘metal and jewelry’ understand and make an informed buy and have them passed on to the next generation. “We will help people make the right choice,” says Bharathy, ahead of Madhurya’s free Zoom Session wherein experts will delve on ‘The hidden health benefits of Indian Jewellery’ organized online on May 19, 8-30pm to 9 pm. (Registrations: http://tiny.cc/Jeweleryfreesession).
How much do we all (in this generation) know about the health benefits of wearing jewelry? Says Bharathy, “I am not sure how much of it is the common understanding. I have only heard time and again from my mother and grandmother about the auspiciousness and sacredness of wearing certain pieces of jewelry. A girl has to wear bangles and earrings. The mangal sutra is a part of you after your marriage. For a long, I accepted this as a way of life as taught to me by my family. It is only a few years back that I heard Bhanumathi Narasimhan (sister of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji of the Art of Living) speak about the health impact of certain pieces of jewelry and that opened up a new dimension of understanding.”
In the olden days, did the Aacharis (goldsmiths) crafting the jewelry work in association with health experts to have metals, designs, and specific jewelry chosen for particular purposes? “As for the goldsmiths, I am not sure if they were aware of the health benefits, but they followed the guidelines given to them by their tradition, and within that framework, art finds unique expression. But whoever it was that made the framework was truly insightful and had profound wisdom on metals and stones that impacted the human mind and body. Thus, bringing health and beauty together, bringing art and spiritual wisdom together, and a social and financial dimension too!” says Bharathy.
And yes, at a traditional level, along with understanding the health benefits, there was the real purpose behind selecting a material used for making ornaments and looking into its artistic angle.
“Yes, when you recognize more and more the value that something brings to your life, you start honoring it, treating it with significance. So the more we honor what we have in life, the much more life is enriched,” says Bharathy adding that the session on understanding jewelry will be an eye-opener to people wanting to know more about jewels and their significance to having positive vibes.
(‘The hidden health benefits of Indian Jewellery’ Madhurya’s online free session, May 19, 8-30pm to 9 pm. (Registrations: http://tiny.cc/Jeweleryfreesession).
The session will also feature discussions on
* Pure Gold that accelerates the healing process of wounds and sores
* Gold as a de-stressor that regulates temperature and gives the body an immunity boost
* Silver as an anti-microbial agent that helps in the healing process and protects from the effects of radiation from electronic devices
* Copper – that relieves arthritic pain with its anti-inflammatory properties
Meghana Harikumar
Ranjani Govind
Editor
